Bib like protective devices



July 10, 1962 s. A. MARTINEZ 3,

BIB LIKE PROTECTIVE DEVICES Filed Sept. 21, 1959 INVENTOR SERGK) MARTINEZ ATTORNEY 5' 3,042,930 BEE LEKE PRUTECTEVE DEVICES Sergio A. Martinez, 2520 SW. 23rd St, Miami, Fla. Filed Sept. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 841,065 1 (Jlairn. ((11. 2-49) This invention relates to a garment protecting device in the nature of a bib and which 1 term an air vest because it is particularly intended for the use of airline passengers whose meals are served by a stewardess while the passengers retain their seats.

It is desirable, in an article of this nature, to provide a structure of such economical construction that it can be discarded after use, can be easily suspended about the neck of the user, will be securely held against accidental dislodgement, will comprise portions disposed to overlie and protect the tie and shirt front from being soiledby accidentally dropped food, and will include elements adapted to make the main body of the bib stand up and maintain its upright position, all as hereinafter set forth.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the bib and its neckembracing supporting means;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing one form of reinforcement at the upper edges of the device as hereinafter described, and

FIG. 4 is a. sectional view upon line 44 of FIG. 1 illustrating a combined ornamental and stiffening strip applied to the face of the body portion of the bib and extending across the width of the bib.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

The bib of my invention comprises a main body portion 5 formed preferably of a cheap, discardable material such as paper of the character of that from which conventional paper napkins are made. However, the invention is not limited to the use of paper or other particular material, but may include cloth or fabric, metal, plastic, wood, or material made from wood pulp.

The means for suspending the bib from the neck of the wearer comprises a metallic, spring-like, split ring 6. Body portion 5 is suspended from the lower bend of the split ring by'a relatively wide tab 7. The ring 6 may be of stainless steel and may, if desired, be left exposed except where engaged by tab 7. However, it is preferably encased within a paper sheathing 8 of paper, the upper edge of tab 7 being turned over both ring 6 and sheathing 8, as at 9 in FIG. 2, and the whole pasted or cemented into tight engagement.

The resilient ring 6 may be easily and quickly engaged about the neck of the user and it is so large in diameter and so pliable, that the stewardess may apply it with one hand, if the other hand is holding a tray of food. The tab is wide enough to cover and protect the tie of the user, beneath the chin and it is of such vertical length as to drop the body portion 5 low enough to overlie and protect that portion of the shirt front of the user which would be most likely to be soiled by dropped food, if the protective device of the invention were not present.

As is shown in the drawing, the body 5 is of general diamond shape. It is formed upon a relatively long hori- 3,642,930 Patented July 10,1962

zontal axis and a somewhat shorter vertical axis whereby to provide pointed wing-like ends 5* which project toward the under arm spaces of the wearer. Stiifening strips 10 of paper, or any other material like that of body 5, extend along the upper edges of body 5 and terminate at a common point on tab 7.

Tab 7 and body 5 are formed of an integral sheet of material such as paper and the strips 10 extending along the upper edges of the body portion and to a common 7 point of support on tab 7 not only strengthen these upper edges but they make the wings of the body portion stand up in a vertical plane. In the absence of these strips the said upper edges would tend to fall forward and permit food to lodge behind them. The upper edges of the wing portions 5 which lie outwardly of the tab, may be folded over to provide hem-like portions 5 (FIG. 3) and the strips may be of merely a single thickness of material or they may additionally include strips of inverted U-shape which consists of the portions 5 5 said portions providing further reinforcement at both the back and front sides of the wings. The breaking away of thestrip 10 at the right side of FIG. 1 is to show that tab 7 and body 5 are of one piece and that strips 10 are extended across the face of the tab to jointly constitute an arch-like support for the upper edges of the outer portions of the wings. The strips are cemented to the wings and tab.

Additional stiffening means to hold the laterally extending, pointed wings 5 in proper position, consists of a stiffening strip of paper 11, or other suitable material, slightly stiffer than the material of body 5 which is cemented to body 5 along the horizontal axis of such body. This strip may, while serving its stiffening function, be utilized to carry. attractive advertising media of the air line upon which these air vests are being used.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that this invention provides a protecting structure of the character described, adapted to be easily and quickly applied and which when in place is held against accidental dislodgement. It is well known that napkins and the like, which are merely tucked in, are Wholly unsatisfactory because they are so easily dislodged. This device cannot become accidentally dislodged since the ring extends around the neck of the user and the body of the napkin is permanently attached thereto.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly fall within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claim.

I claim:

A device of the character described comprising a neck embracing, resilient split ring adapted to be engaged about the neck of the user, the split portion of the ring being disposed at substantially the top thereof, said ring sup porting a napkin forming paper structure comprising a diamond-shaped body portion having a vertical short axis and a horizontal long axis, and an integral paper tab which extends from the top of the short axis of the body portion to the bottom portion of the split ring where it is firmly engaged with said ring, the said tab being of a width to cover the tie area of the wearer, but being sufliciently short to suspend the diamond shaped body portion well up over the chest of the wearer, the longitudinal axis of the body portion being of such amplitude as to cause its ends to extend Well toward the under arm area of the wearer and stiffening strips secured along the upper edges of the body portion and continued over the surface of the tab into overlapping relation at the center of the tab, said strips being firmly secured to the body portion and tab throughout their length, the body portion and tab being formed of very light-Weight, discardable,

napkin-like paper and the width of the tab being less than the diameter of the split ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Walker July 1, 1902 Bergstrom May 15, 1928 Gillette Sept. 5, 1939 Goldsmith May 27, 1947 Britton Oct. 10, 1950 Wilson Oct. 5, 1954 

